mr. chairman , i come to the floor today to speak in support of the real id act . 
it is clear that in order to secure our country from terrorists we need to reform the requirements and standards for driver 's licenses . 
a valid driver 's license is like a hall pass that allows terrorists to easily roam throughout the united states . 
indeed 19 terrorists did just that with dozens of legal driver 's licenses and identification cards . 
the hijackers used these ids to rent cars and apartments , open bank accounts , take flying lessons , and otherwise blend into american society while they planned their attacks . 
those terrorists murdered 3 , 000 americans and yet this gap still remains open . 
in every state , the driver 's license ( and its counterpart , the state id card ) is the primary document used to establish identity and proof of legal residence . 
making driver 's licenses accessible to illegal aliens gives them the means to pass themselves off as legal residents of the united states . 
additionally , the real id act does not create a national id card . 
in addition to establishing standards for the issuance of licenses , h.r. 418 includes provisions to prevent terrorists from gaming our asylum system . 
court decisions in recent years have so distorted the asylum process that terrorists are now able to claim asylum specifically because they are terrorists . 
this legislation represents a critical first step toward gaining control over our borders and protecting american lives . 
these are common-sense measures that should be implemented immediately . 
terrorism may have no borders , but we can certainly make it more difficult for terrorists to cross ours . 
having a uniform policy that relies on common sense will do more to keep america open and free than having a policy that relies on hope . 
